Water temp gauge stay on 160 degree

I'll put my bets on a faulty gage...but that's just me.

Have you checked your cooling fan to see if it is working propely? Let the car idle and get warm and listen for the fan to kick in (if they are electric) or just watch to see if the fan starts to spin faster if it is the old school type with a clutch. Have you replaced the thermostat? A bad one will let the temp rise since it opens too late and then the temp will drop off. But it won't due this only at a light and it will do it infrequently.

Sounds like it is low on Antifreeze or the thermostat is hanging up. This would account for the lack of heat, which should be felt in the water lines coming out of the heater core.

Both water hoses should be equally hot if the heater is on full blast. But there is a radiator cooling fan for the engine and it is to some degree responsibile for cooling the water. But even at 180, you would have heat.

Last, as this is 13 years old, check for collapsing main radiator hoses.

Make sure you uhave a good mixture of antifreeze it make the boiling point higher as well as the freeze point lower. Check the fans let it idle turn on the ac and wait and watch.If it gets hot and No fan comes on start there / thermastat The t-start should be open around 160-180 degrees you should notice it get to the threshhold then drop 10 degrees / heads check for water in the oil oil in the water .See if you can get a temp gun if every thing else checks good before you get into the wiring.

thermostat is sticking

195 degrees is the typical high end on the thermostat (when the thermostat opens), so the temp gauge should read a max of 195 degrees, give or take a few degrees. Some people replace their thermostat with a lower temp one, such as a 180 degree one. Then the gauge will read lower (approx 180 degree max). So the range is typically from cold at start to just under 200 degrees.

is it acually getting hot or is it just the gauge on the dash saying so? a quality scan tool can show you what the coolant temp sensor is telling the pcm it may differ from the gauge.

210 degrees is a average temperature for most cars. However if its not for yours I would check to see if the cooling fan in the engine compartment runs continuously or shuts off. Check right at start up, let the truck sit overnight, start the truck in the morning and see if the fan comes on instantly, it shouldn't. If it never turns off there is a problem with the electrical circuit, bad relay, short to ground, short to power etc.

I would start by changing your thermostat.

it is most likey a sticking thermostat it either gets stuck closed or open in your case closed so collant isnt getting to the heater core and all you get is cold air blowing into the truck.
its a simple fix you can either do it your self or take it to a mechanic. now remember there are differnt thermostes so think about the climat you live in and get one according to that